Desmond Workman: M.S., Information Systems and Technology
Desmond Workman: Information Systems and Technology
A graduate student in the Information Systems and Technology program, Desmond Workman is both an innovator and an educator; he loves exploring new technologies and their potential applications and he’s eager to share his discoveries with the world. Within his first year of his graduate program, he landed a position as Dr. Vincent Nestler’s graduate student assistant, contributed to an NSF-funded cybersecurity initiative, and spearheaded a podcast on the role of artificial intelligence in daily life.
After earning his bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona and working in the field of data analytics, Workman was eager to further his education with a master’s degree from CSUSB.
“We do so much great work here (at CSUSB), not just in terms of what we’re technically capable of, but I think we are thinkers in ways that other universities have just not caught up to yet,” Workman commented.
As Dr. Nestler’s graduate student assistant, Workman soon became involved in the AI Horizon Project. Led by Dr. Nestler and funded by the National Science Foundation, AI Horizon uses AI tools to predict how artificial intelligence is shaping the job market.
“The AI Horizon project is specifically focused on cybersecurity, but in the research that were doing and what we’re coming across, most of the information is relevant to other industries as well,” Workman said.
When Workman heard about the idea for creating a podcast, he was eager to get it off the ground and use it as a vehicle to share the AI Horizon project’s discoveries. He now co-hosts Beyond the Horizon bi-weekly with fellow podcaster Robert Velasco, another Information Systems and Technology graduate student. Their focus is on making technical information accessible and alleviating some of the fear and mystery surrounding AI. The podcast explores innovations in history and draws comparisons between the impacts of previous inventions and today’s technological advances.
“There is real harm in integrating technology without doing research; but doesn’t make the technology inherently bad,” Workman notes. Search for Beyond the Horizon: Desmond Workman on Spotify.
As part of the AI Horizon team, Workman also had the opportunity to travel to Washington D.C. to attend the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource (NAIRR) annual meeting in March.
“It was incredible,” Workman commented. “Everyone who was using NAIRR resources or was a part of the organization came together and discussed how they were working with AI and what they learned over the last year. We presented how educators could modernize their curriculum with AI, to do it safely, to do it responsibly, but also making sure that their students are going to be employable in this new workforce that AI is going to bring into our society.”
Workman is considering pursuing a career in education and research but is keeping his options open. Right now, he is focused on making the most of his time at CSUSB.
“I’m so thankful for the opportunities that this university has given me, I think that the world is going to be shocked at the talent of the graduates that are coming out of here, especially the ones that are in Dr. Nestler’s program. We have some of the best of the best students here, they get placed in the best of the best organizations so I’m proud to be a coyote.”